Bioscience Technology articles from February 2007

Bioscience Technology archives from February 2007

Array QC project advances technology: microarrays have been suffering from a crisis of confidence over concerns that their results are not reproducible between labs. Now, by exploiting the results from a huge quality control test and employing a few new tricks, researchers may finally be able to trust their gene expression data.(Cover story)
February 1, 2007... In a widely-cited 2003 study, scientists at the NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) performed the same experiment on three separate microarray platforms. The three platforms yielded wildly divergent...

Globalization of R&D.(SNAPSHOT)
February 1, 2007... Globalization of R&D U.S. EU25 Japan China R&D Spending, 329 240 128 136 2,006 Billions, U.S. Share of 32.40% 23.60% 12.60% 13.40% Global R&D R&D as...

Industrial investment fuels R&D spending.(Editor's Note)(research and development)
February 1, 2007... R&D Magazine (put out by this magazine's punisher, Advantage Business Media) and Battelle have released the 2007 edition of their annum research and development funding forecast. (The January forecast covers U.S.-based R&D. Battelle and R&D...

Microplate dispenser.(February's Innovations)
February 1, 2007... NanoQuot Microplate Dispenser utilizes control software for intuitive and flexible dispense program creation and liquid profile management, making it easy to quickly change dispense solutions characterized by different viscosities. A .NET...

Small animal imaging system.(February's Innovations)
February 1, 2007... MollyQ molecular imagers employ Scanning Focal Point Technology, with eight detectors surrounding the specimen. Each has a 10,042-hole point-focus collimator that moves in and out and back and forth so that every point within the field of view...

Multiplex cell-based assays.(February's Innovations)
February 1, 2007... The FDSS6000 imaging-based plate reader collects orthogonal data while performing an assay. For example, library compounds that either quench fluorescence of a given dye or autofluoresce are identified using both Fura-2 AM and Fluo-4 AM loaded...

Laser microdissection.(February's Innovations)
February 1, 2007... The PALM MicroBeam laser microdissection system provides for non-contact (contamination-free) isolation of homogeneous specimens from tissue or the acquisition of living cells, which facilitates the molecular analysis of DNA, RNA and proteins....

Infrared neural stimulator.(February's Innovations)
February 1, 2007... Renoir R-1850 fiber-coupled laser generates reliable, pulsed, mid-infrared (IR) light from a 12.5 x 12.25 x 4.57 inch package. The unit features user-selectable pulse repetition rate, pulse energy and pulse width. A fiber optic interface allows...

Isolated heart platform.(February's Innovations)
February 1, 2007... All Hugo Sachs Elektronik dedicated Isolated Heart Systems are available with many advanced features including the ability to perfuse under either constant pressure or constant flow conditions. The systems have the ability to switch between...

Automated molecular imaging.(February's Innovations)
February 1, 2007... KODAK Image Station 4000MM Pro recalls and replicates settings from session to session. Lens system records precise f-stop, 10x zoom and focal plane parameters. A selectable wavelength xenon epi-illumination light source is included, as are 10...

High-throughput DNA methylation profiling.(February's Innovations)
February 1, 2007... DNA methylation profiling technology can simultaneously survey up to 1,536 methylation sites across 96 samples. Illumina Inc. pairs the BeadArray platform with the GoldenGate assay to perform genome-wide methylation profiling for areas such as...

Tissue, genetic storage facility.(Research News)
February 1, 2007... The National Genecular Institute (NGI), a subsidiary of Dermacia, is creating a tissue and genetic storage facility in Iowa City, Iowa. The repository of biological materials is to be called BioTrust, because it links the material donor to the...

Tissue Imaging MALDI mass spectrometry service.(Research News)
February 1, 2007... Tissue Imaging By-the-Slice, a new service that reads and delivers tissue imaging MALDI mass spectrometry data from a customer-supplied tissue sample, is being offered by Protein Discovery, Inc., a Knoxville, Tenn.-based provider of mass...

Lab-on-a-chip prototype based on printed semiconductor.(Research News)
February 1, 2007... BIOIDENT Technologies Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., has unveiled a lab-on-a-chip prototype with fully integrated opto-electronic readout system. Leveraging printed organic photonics provides a prototype that allows multiple tests to be conducted...

Integrated high-throughput PCR system.(Research News)(Caliper Life Sciences)(polymerase chain reaction )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Roche Diagnostics and Caliper Life Sciences, Inc. have announced a joint product offering that combines Caliper's Twister II Microplate Handler and Roche's LightCycler 480 RealTime PCR system. The integrated product provides a cost-effective...

SGI and Microsoft expand high-performance computing.(Research News)
February 1, 2007... Leveraging SGI's expertise in high-performance computing and Microsoft Corp.'s strategy of making HPC more accessible to a broader marketplace, SGI and Microsoft Corp. have announced that SGI will offer a Microsoft Windows Compute Cluster...

Annual cell signaling symposium.(Research News)
February 1, 2007... Millipore Corporation has announced that it is sponsoring the Fourth Annual Cell Signaling Symposium to be held August 30-September 2, 2007, at the Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa, Dundee (U.K.). The symposium is co-sponsored by Millipore and the...

Protein Kinase screening service.(Biochemicals & Kits: Cell Biology Focus)
February 1, 2007... Protein kinase screening using the Upstate Kinase Profiler selectivity profiling service helps researchers evaluate potential leads and guide medicinal chemistry to optimize the most promising compounds and avoid the development of non-specific...

Orange fluorescent dye.(Biochemicals & Kits: Cell Biology Focus)
February 1, 2007... This orange fluorescent dye can be used as a nuclear stain with living cells, or as a cell location dye to define cell perimeter in a variety of cell-based assays. Water soluble and membrane permeable, CyTRAK Orange is offered for live cell...

Labeling proteins in living cells.(Biochemicals & Kits: Cell Biology Focus)
February 1, 2007... Active Motif's LigandLink Universal Labeling technology provides a small ligand that can carry a variety of functional tags, including fluorescent dyes. Expression of a protein of interest as a LigandLink fusion specifically enables labeling...

Cellular HDAC assay kit.(Biochemicals & Kits: Cell Biology Focus)
February 1, 2007... The HDAC Fluorimetric Cellular Activity Assay provides reagents and protocols for determining rates of intracellular deacetylase activity within cultured cells and is suitable for high-throughput cell-based deacetylase assays. HDACs are...

Enzyme system for hepatocyte isolation.(Biochemicals & Kits: Products News)
February 1, 2007... The pre-optimized combination of enzymes contained in this Hepatocyte Isolation System minimizes lot-to-lot variation and improves quality. Each lot is use-tested by isolating hepatocytes from adult rat to assure performance, reliability, and...

Nucleic acid extraction automation.(Biochemicals & Kits: Products News)
February 1, 2007... The Agencourt FormaPure system provides fast extraction of DNA and RNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples. The system can be automated on the Biomek NX Span-8 Laboratory Automation Workstation to process 96 samples in...

Immortalized human neural progenitor cell lines.(Biochemicals & Kits: Products News)
February 1, 2007... The ReNcell product line provides scientists needing reproducible results with neurons easily derived from human cells. These progenitor cells are particularly useful in drug discovery applications, where the development of these pathways can...

MicroRNA product line.(Biochemicals & Kits: Products News)
February 1, 2007... The FlexmiR line of microRNA products provides researchers comprehensive microRNA analysis with specificity and efficiency. The kit combines proprietary xMAP technology and Locked Nucleic Acid technology to offer a simple, quick and highly...

DNA methylation service.(Biochemicals & Kits: Products News)
February 1, 2007... DNA methylation markers are an important new class of biomarkers that are significant because of their correlation to gene activity. High levels of cytosine methylation in genomic regions (CpG islands) are often associated with decreased or...

Collagen ELISA kit.(Biochemicals & Kits: Products News)
February 1, 2007... Collagen IV full-sandwich ELISA kit includes a plate that has been coated with a Collagen IV capture reagent and blocked to reduce non-specific binding. The user adds standard curve (provided) and samples to the plate and, following an...

Cell-permeable stain.(Biochemicals & Kits: Product News)
February 1, 2007... LavaCell is a small, neutral, cell-permeable bright orange stain that is useful for visualizing cellular membranes in live or fixed cells. It has a long Stokes shift, reacts with free amine groups and does not stain nucleic acids, making it...

qRT-PCR kits.(Biochemicals & Kits: Product News)
February 1, 2007... CellsDirect qRT-PCR kits provide robust real-time results directly from small numbers of cells, including samples isolated by Laser Capture Microdissection. The technology eliminates the need for RNA isolation procedures that contribute to...

DNA Polymerase.(Biochemicals & Kits: Product News)
February 1, 2007... PrimeSTAR HS DNA Polymerase with GC Buffer is offered for high-fidelity amplification of high GC (> 75%) templates. It offers both accuracy and amplification efficiency. The GC buffer formulation facilitates robust extension through even very...

Detection of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells.(Biochemicals & Kits: Product News)
February 1, 2007... MHC Class II Ultimers facilitate evaluation and characterization of CD4 + single antigen-specific T cells, enabling evaluation of the T cell immune response in a wide range of disease areas including, autoimmune disease, cancer and infectious...

IR fluorescent reagents.(Biochemicals & Kits: Product News)
February 1, 2007... Infrared fluorescent reagent line includes secondary antibodies, protein labeling kits, Western blotting kits, In-Cell Western assay kits, Western blotting buffers, and protein stains. IRDye-conjugated secondary antibodies include monkey...

Purify RNA, DNA and protein from a single sample.(Biochemicals & Kits: Product News)
February 1, 2007... Total RNA, genomic DNA, and protein can be isolated simultaneously from a single sample using the column provided with this kit, without additional supplementary protocols or acetone precipitation of proteins. Neither initial sample nor lysate...

Cell lines, hybridomas.(Biochemicals & Kits: Product News)
February 1, 2007... New catalog highlights 3,600 cell lines and hybridomas as well as the media, sera and reagents used to culture the proprietary lines. Indexes organize the cell biology collection by species of origin, tissue source, disease type and other...

Cystatin C detection.(Biochemicals & Kits: Product News)
February 1, 2007... Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious health problem because of its potential development to renal failure. Recent studies show that Cystatin C is a reliable and sensitive marker for detecting early CKD. A repertoire of monoclonal...

Pathway research in plants.(Instruments & Systems: Bioinformatics Focus)
February 1, 2007... The ResNet Plant Database (Ariadne Genomics, Inc.) consists of functional relationships extracted from plant-related PubMed abstracts and articles, and includes information on seven well-studied plants: Arabidopsis, Rice, Barley, Corn, Tomato,...

Data Acquisition and Integration Control Software.(Instruments & Systems: Bioinformatics Focus)
February 1, 2007... Collect version 6.0 Data Acquisition and Integration Control software (Labtronics Device Integration Group) provides a direct connection between instruments and devices with serial RS232 or TCP/IP Ethernet ports and interfaces them to any...

Integrated lead discovery software.(Instruments & Systems: Bioinformatics Focus)
February 1, 2007... Chemical visualization technology has been integrated with lead discovery software to provide a solution that captures and displays discovery relevant information to facilitate the identification of novel drug candidates. Scientific computing...

Guided workflow for copy number software.(Instruments & Systems: Bioinformatics Focus)
February 1, 2007... ArrayAssist Copy Number Software (Stratagene Corp.) enables manipulation and analysis of the massive data sets generated by chromosomal copy number microarrays. All ArrayAssist applications offer GeneChip-compatible status with the Affymetrix...

New instrumentation for live cell imaging.(Instruments & Systems)
February 1, 2007... The cell orchestrates a stunning array of biochemical processes, including those that govern its own growth, division and survival. (1) Understanding these processes is paramount not only to understanding the cell, but to the living organism as...

Cell culture observation, monitoring.(Instruments & Systems Product News)
February 1, 2007... BioStation CT integrated cell culture observation and monitoring system allows users with minimal microscopy experience to conduct live cell imaging locally or by remote operation. The system facilitates management, observation and recording of...

Alternative splicing data analysis software.(Instruments & Systems Product News)
February 1, 2007... SpliceFold splice variant microarray analysis software (Jivan Biologics) can be used in whole genome and whole spliceome analysis for human, mouse and other organisms. Industry-standard algorithms are incorporated, along with Jivan's own data...

Isolate regulatory T cells.(Instruments & Systems Product News)
February 1, 2007... [T.sub.Reg] isolation method utilizes RosetteSep [CD4.sup.+] T cell enrichment directly from whole blood followed by manual or automated positive magnetic selection of high-expressing [CD25.sup.+] bright cells. Purities of up to 90% can be...

Mutation Detection Kits.(Instruments & Systems Product News)
February 1, 2007... High-throughput SURVEYOR Mutation Detection Kit for universal primer fluorescent capillary electrophoresis digests target DNA amplified with two universal fluorescent primers (included in the kit), labeled with either fluorescein or TAMP, A,...

Software for NanoDrop microvolume fluorospectrometer.(Instruments & Systems: Product News)
February 1, 2007... New software enhances the performance of the NanoDrop Technologies ND-3300 Fluorospectrometer, an instrument that enables fluorescence measurements of 12 [micro]l samples without the use of cuvettes or capillaries. The system combines fiber...

Determine aggregates in protein solution.(Instruments & Systems: Product News)
February 1, 2007... The AggreKem Monitor determines the presence of aggregates for protein crystallography, rapid QA screening applications and aggregation kinetic studies in drug discovery research labs. Light scattering technology and software are used to...

Zebrafish, Xenopus diets.(Instruments & Systems: Product News)
February 1, 2007... Irradiated Adult Zebrafish and Irradiated Adult Xenopus diets are soy-free low in phytoestrogen. The nutritionally complete Zebrafish diet is formulated to promote healthy fin and tissue development, and has demonstrated increased fecundity in...

Live-cell microscope.(Instruments & Systems: Product News)
February 1, 2007... The Axio Observer, based on an inverted research microscope, makes it possible not only to observe processes in living cells, but also to manipulate processes and analyze resulting changes. An ACR function automatically recognizes objectives...

Digital arrays for digital PCR.(Instruments & Systems: Product News)
February 1, 2007... The second in a line of nanofluidic chips--digital arrays--run on the BioMark qPCR analysis system, is available. Digital arrays are validated for applications that require absolute counting of target molecules, often within samples as small as...

Automated cell counting system.(Apparatus & Consumables: Cell Culture Focus)
February 1, 2007... EasyCount System fluorescent microscopy-based imaging system accurately counts dead and live nucleated cells and automatically calculates cell viability in a single test. Together with the ViaSure Kit, the system automates this routine...

Low profile flask.(Apparatus & Consumables: Cell Culture Focus)
February 1, 2007... Low profile flask features the Corning CellBIND surface. The container has a similar footprint to the current T-75 flask, but creates 100 [cm.sup.2] of surface area. Accessible with a 10 ml pipette and small scrapers, the flask offers 1/2 turn...

Benchtop bioreactor.(Apparatus & Consumables: Cell Culture Focus)
February 1, 2007... The CelliGen 310 bioreactor, for production of anchorage-dependent and suspension cultures in research, development and production applications, incorporates a large touch-screen interface that monitors and controls over 120 parameters in one...

Coated Cell Culture Flasks.(Apparatus & Consumables: Cell Culture Focus)
February 1, 2007... These Cell Culture Flasks are pre-coated with either Poly D-Lysine or Collagen I. The uniform application of the surface treatments facilitates reproducible cell culture performance by enhancing cell attachment, growth and differentiation in...

Stepper motor controller.(Apparatus & Consumables: Product News)
February 1, 2007... Prior[PC.sup.2] (Prior Scientific Inc.) 175 x 106 mm high speed stepper motor controller features six axis control for XY, focus and three filter wheels, control for three shutters, and a 16-bit analog (0-10 V) output for piezo control. Four...

Rotary evaporator.(Apparatus & Consumables: Product News)
February 1, 2007... Heidolph rotary evaporator Model 4003 Control integrates vacuum and vapor temperature controllers and a choice of three automated distillation programs. Users can set nine most common applications and required vacuum changes for ramping. An...

Barbed fittings.(Apparatus & Consumables: Product News)
February 1, 2007... Molded Thermobarb FDA PP Y connectors eliminate mold parting lines and flashing. A long, tapered lead barb allows easy installation and a tight fit. Smooth internal surfaces provide unrestricted flow. The fittings can be sterilized by gamma...

Temperature calibrator.(Apparatus & Consumables: Product News)
February 1, 2007... MicroCal T1100 temperature calibrator has a stability of [+ or -] 0.6 F. CalpMan 2000 and CalpMan Plus Software provides automatic calibration and documentation. Unit temperature range is 390 to 2010 F. The unit provides twochannels, resolution...

Electronic dispenser.(Apparatus & Consumables: Product News)
February 1, 2007... eLINE dispensers incorporate a TipGuide that suggests suitable tip sizes to users, eliminating the chance of improper tip selection. Users set desired volume and number of dispensings and the TipGuide displays correct tip size. Six operating...

Guard columns.(Apparatus & Consumables: Product News)
February 1, 2007... Biocompatible ZIC-HILIC (Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography) columns contain a zwitterionic stationary phase and protect analytical or preparative columns from contamination by material that may have precipitated in solution and the...

Heat shrink bands seal media bottles.(Apparatus & Consumables: Product News)
February 1, 2007... The heat-shrink bands found on Nalgene PETG (polyethylene terephthalate copolymer) Square Media Bottles are now offered separately for customers that perform liquid fill operations. End users apply the recommended application torque, and the...

Steam sterilizers.(Apparatus & Consumables: Product News)
February 1, 2007... Finn-Aqua Life Sciences Research (LSR) Steam Sterilizers are offered for comparative medicine facilities that need various sizes and configurations of chambers and doors. Fully jacketed stainless steel chambers are available in sizes from 270...

Pre-cut, pierceable sealing film.(Product News)
February 1, 2007... X-Pierce vinyl sealing film with thin adhesive layer protects samples in 96-well microplates from evaporation and contamination and supports automation and robotic applications. A precut hairline "X" pattern over each well creates four flaps...

TIRF microscope illuminator.(Product News)
February 1, 2007... Multi-color, multi-angle illuminator enables multi-channel laser total internal reflectance fluorescence (TIRF) illumination. Up to three discrete laser lines can be used simultaneously for illumination, each with its own critical angle. In...

Ultrasound image-guided micro-injection.(Product News)
February 1, 2007... InviVue ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) system is designed for in-utero mouse brain embryonic imaging. UBM-guided injections of DNA and retroviruses allow the study of cell linage and genetic mutations in early brain development and conducting...

Liquid delivery quality assurance technologies.(Product News)
February 1, 2007... The risk of liquid delivery error in molecular laboratories is growing as the average size of tested liquid volumes continues to diminish. Tasked with performing a large number of tests in a short amount of time, labs must balance productivity...

Temperature, flow, and pressure monitoring equipment.(Product News)
February 1, 2007... Product line includes temperature and pressure calibrators, chart recorders, controllers, data acquisition systems, data loggers, heaters, infrared handheld instruments, pH and conductivity instrumentation, signal conditioners, thermocouples,...

Pre-labeled labware.(Product News)
February 1, 2007... Label-Ease products provide an alternative to in-lab labeling equipment. Customized, pre-labeled labware adds to employee time and lab space. Test tubes, vials, plates and other containers come with an affixed pressure sensitive label or...

A comparative analysis of ultraviolet light vs high-heat sterilization in a cell culture C[O.sub.2] incubator.(Apparatus & Consumables)
February 1, 2007... In 2001, SANYO Electric Biomedical Co., Ltd. (Osaka, Japan) introduced a cell culture C[O.sub.2] incubator that employs an isolated narrow-bandwidth ultraviolet light to destroy airborne contaminants in the chamber and water-borne organisms in...

A three-barbed protein hook.(Best Practices)
February 1, 2007... Cells and body fluids are packed with proteins. A single lymphocyte can contain one-billion protein molecules. Despite this high concentration, the range of distribution of these molecules within a single cell can cover orders of magnitude. To...